1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a testing system for voice system equipment in a switchboard. Recently, introduction of a centralized maintenance system for a switchboard has made steady progress in the field of communication networks, and a maintenance interface between different kinds of switchboards has been integrated, as typified by TMN (Telecommunication Management Network). In the testing of voice system equipment in the switchboard, too, a testing system that does not depend on the kind of the switchboard has been required. The present invention is concerned with such a testing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 13 of the accompanying drawings shows the basic construction of a testing system for voice system equipment in a switchboard according to the prior art. To test voice system equipment in the switchboard, a different kind of tester is used for each test object, and the test is conducted in accordance with the test procedure that is different for each test object. A subscriber test will be explained hereby as a typical example of the tests for voice system equipment with reference to FIG. 13.
In the drawing, reference numeral 13-1 represents a centralized maintenance office (CMOC). Various tests and maintenance of subordinate switchboards can be made concentratedly from the centralized maintenance office (CMOC). Reference numeral 13-2 represents a local station (LS). The local station (LS) is the terminal station of the switching stage, and stores the subscriber's telephones.
Reference numeral 13-3 represents a testing maintenance terminal (TWS) for conducting various tests, and an information processing unit such as a personal computer is mainly used. Reference numeral 13-4 represents a voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) that assists the voice system test by the testing maintenance terminal (TWS). It communicates with the testing maintenance terminal (TWS), and has a simulated incoming/outgoing function and an interface function with a specific trunk (MALTI) for conducting various tests.
Reference numeral 13-5 represents the specific trunk (MALTI) having an adapter function for connecting the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) and the voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) to a switching unit (NW) of the switchboard. It has a function of gathering a test control signal from the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) and a voice signal from the voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) into one channel, and transmitting them, and a call function.
Reference numeral 13-6 represents a transit trunk (DT) between offices, reference numeral 13-7 represents a switching unit (NW) of the switchboard and reference numeral 13-8 represents a control unit (CC) of the switchboard. Reference numeral 13-9 represents a subscriber test transit device (LTAP). It is interposed between the specific trunk (MALTI) and a subscriber tester (LTE) and relays the test signal.
Reference numeral 13-10 represents the subscriber local tester (LTE). The subscriber testers are disposed in a plurality of stages in accordance with the scale of subscribers that are stored. Reference numeral 13-11 represents a subscriber interface card (SLC), and reference numeral 13-12 represents a subscriber's telephone (TEL).
Reference numeral 13-13 represents a testing maintenance terminal (TWS) provided to the local station (LS), reference numeral 13-14 represents the voice system test auxiliary system (CBOX) provided to the local station (LS) and reference numeral 13-15 represents the specific trunk (MALTI) provided to the local station (LS).
The maintenance party conducts a subscriber test such as a line test and a speech test of the subscriber's telephone 13-12 by using the local tester (LTE) 13-10 installed in the local station (LS) 13-2. The subscriber test procedures of the centralized maintenance office (CMOS) by the maintenance party are as follows.
(1) The maintenance party of the centralized maintenance office (CMOS) retrieves the local station (LS) storing the subscriber's telephone to be tested, and inputs the station ID (station identification data) of this station from the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) 13-3.
(2) The testing maintenance terminal (TWS) 13-3 generates a call to the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9 of the local station (LS) storing the tested subscriber's telephone (TEL) on the basis of this station ID through the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-5.
(3) The control unit 13-8 of the switchboard executes the ordinary call processing for the call described above, and sets a voice path between the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) of the local station (LS) 13-9 and the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-5 of the centralized maintenance office (CMOC).
Incidentally, the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-5 allocates 56 Kbps of 64 Kbps of the voice path to the voice signal of the voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) 13-4 and the remaining 8 Kbps to the test. signal of the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) 13-3, and transmits them.
(4) When the voice path is thus set and this; setting is reported to the maintenance party, the maintenance party inputs the telephone number of the tested subscriber's telephone (TEL) to the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) 13-3. This telephone number is sent to the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9 through the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-5, and is reported to the control unit (CC) 13-8 of the switchboard of the local station (LS) from the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9.
(5) The control unit (CC) of the switchboard of the local station (LS) retrieves the subscriber interface card (SLC) 13-11 and the subscriber test device (LTE) 13-10 corresponding to the telephone number, and sets the voice path between the subscriber test device (LTE) 13-10 and the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9.
(6) When the subscriber interface card (SLC) is retrieved and the test preparation is completed, the result is reported to the maintenance party and then the maintenance party starts the subscriber test.
(7) When other subscribers' telephones of the same local station (LS) are tested, the same procedures are repeated from the procedure (4) described above.
The above explains the subscriber test procedure. Incidentally, when the subscriber test is conducted by using the testing maintenance terminal (TWS) 13-13, the voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) 13-14 and the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-15 inside the local. station (LS), too, the same procedure is employed after the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-15 is connected to the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9.
The testing system for voice system equipment in the switchboard described has been employed with the following background. In the first place, the first required specification of the testing system for voice system equipment in the switchboard is that the testing system can execute communication between a tester such as a subscriber tester and the testing maintenance terminal. Here, the tester is an exclusive testing instrument assembled into the switchboard, and the testing maintenance terminal is basically a general-purpose information processing unit such as a personal computer.
The tester such as the subscriber tester is disposed in a plurality of stages for a predetermined number of subscriber interface cards in accordance with the scale of subscribers that are stored. Therefore, in order to satisfy the first required specification described above, a communication route must be established between the testing maintenance terminal and the tester corresponding to the subscriber as the test object among a plurality of testers. Since the tester and the testing maintenance terminal do not correspond on a 1:1 basis, switching for connecting them becomes necessary.
To satisfy such a requirement, a possible measure may be a construction in which the test information is sent from the testing maintenance terminal to a software processing section of the control unit of the switchboard, and the control unit of the switchboard relays this test information and sends it to the corresponding tester.
According to such a construction, however, the position of installation of the testing maintenance terminal is limited to the range within which the test information can be transmitted by physically connecting the testing maintenance terminal to the control unit of the switchboard. In other words, the testing maintenance terminal must be installed in an area having a predetermined distance from the control unit of the control unit of the switchboard.
Therefore, a construction has been employed in which the tester and the testing maintenance terminal are connected by the voice path of the switching unit in the switchboard so as to establish the communication route of the test information. Connection between the testing maintenance terminal and the switchboard may be made through a MODEM, but the following second required specification must be taken into consideration, too.
The second required specification for the testing system for voice system equipment in the switchboard is that the tester such as the subscriber tester and the telephone of the testing maintenance terminal must be connected by the voice path in order to test voice system equipment in the switchboard.
To satisfy this requirement, it is necessary that the voice path be established from the telephone of the testing maintenance terminal to the tester corresponding to the subscriber's telephone of the test object among a plurality of testers. Since the tester and the testing maintenance terminal do not correspond on, a 1:1 basis, switching becomes necessary for connecting the voice path.
Therefore, it may be possible to generate a call in the same way as the ordinary call from the telephone of the testing maintenance terminal to the corresponding tester and thus to establish the voice path. According to this construction, however, it is necessary to request the control unit of the switchboard to report the telephone number of the corresponding tester for each test and to conduct the call operation for each test. Therefore, the operation becomes troublesome.
The testing system of voice system equipment of the switchboard according to the prior art solves the problem described above by preparing the voice system test auxiliary device (CBOX) 13-4, the specific trunk (MALTI) 13-5 as the adapter for the exclusive use for the maintenance party terminal and the subscriber test transit device (LTAP) 13-9 for exclusive use for testing and maintenance, as explained with reference to FIG. 13.
Nonetheless, the testing system for voice system equipment in the switchboard according to the prior art is not yet free from the following problems (1) to (4), and future testing systems will be required to solve these problems.
(1) The voice system test auxiliary device and the adapters for exclusive use for testing and maintenance are necessary, and they result in the increase of the cost in switchboards having a limited scale.
(2) Since the special devices for testing and maintenance are mounted to the switchboard, it is extremely difficult to transfer and adapt the same testing devices to other kinds of switchboards.
(3) When remote maintenance is to be done, a subscriber test transit device, and the like, equipped with the interface function with the centralized maintenance office is necessary, and remote maintenance cannot be done from equipment other than from the centralized maintenance office.
(4) When the maintenance operation is made from the centralized maintenance office, the local station of the subscriber as the test object must be first designated, and the maintenance party must recognize the correspondence between the telephone number of the subscribers telephone as the test object and the station ID of the local station storing the subscriber. Therefore, the operation becomes troublesome.